The present invention is directed toward a modified method of playing Blackjack and, more particularly, to such a method wherein a player is permitted to wager on his hand or the dealer's hand winning.
Blackjack, which is also known as Twenty-one, has been played for many years. It is often played in casinos where one or more players are pitted against a dealer. At least one deck of playing cards is used for playing Blackjack. A common method of playing Blackjack in a casino is as follows:
Each player makes an initial wager or ante before any cards are dealt. The dealer then deals two cards face up to each of the players and deals two cards, one of which is face up, to himself. Each of the numbered cards has a value equal to the card number, each of the face cards has a value of ten, and each of the aces has a value of one or eleven, whichever is most beneficial to the player.
Each player is then allowed to take as many "hits" (additional cards) as he or she desires until the player chooses to "stand" (stops with a hand which has a value of less than or equal to 21) or "busts" (has a hand that has a value of over 21). If a player busts, his wager is lost. Once each of the players has finished his turn, the dealer turns over the card he dealt face down to himself. If the dealer's hand has a value of 17 or over he is not allowed to receive any additional cards. If the dealer's hand is less than 17 he must take additional hits until he obtains a hand with a value of 17 or more. If the dealer goes over 21, each player who did not bust wins. If the dealer's hand is less than 21, then the value of the hand of each of the players is separately compared with the dealer's hand. The players who have a higher hand than the dealer win. If a player has a winning hand he is typically paid on a 1 to 1 ratio. If the player's hand is equal to the dealer, it is called a "push" and the player's initial wager is returned to him.
There are various other well known rules associated with Blackjack. For example, if the two cards the player is initially dealt has a value of 21 (called "blackjack"), the player receives 1.5 times his initial wager.
Further, if the card the dealer initially deals himself face up is an ace, each of the players is allowed to make an "insurance" wager. Specifically, each player can wager up to one-half of his initial bet. The dealer then checks the card he dealt to himself face down. If the dealer has a blackjack, the players who took "insurance" are paid on a 2 to 1 basis for the insurance wager only. Thereafter, the players who do not also have blackjack lose their initial wager.
Another well known rule is that a player is allowed to double his initial bet and receive one and only one additional card. This is called "doubling down." The player wins if the value of his resultant three card hand is higher than the value of the dealer's hand (and the player has not busted).
Finally, a player is allowed to "split pairs." That is, if the first two cards dealt to the player are of the same value, the player may elect to "split" the two cards into separate hands. If the player chooses to "split," he has to apply his initial wager to one of the hands and has to place another wager, of the same amount, to the other hand. The player then plays each of the hands separately.
There are numerous variations to the method of playing Blackjack described above. For example, in some gaming establishments, the players' cards are dealt face down. Further, different rules may apply to "doubling down," "splitting pairs," and "insurance."
One disadvantage with known Blackjack type wagering games is that once a player "busts" (has a hand with a value of over 21), he has to wait until the entire round is over before being permitted to once again participate in the game. Since up to seven players may sit at a typical blackjack table, the player may have to wait a considerable amount of time before a new round begins. This can be quite frustrating for the player.
Furthermore, it is well known that the odds of winning are stacked in favor of the dealer and, therefore, the gaming establishment. However, existing Blackjack type games do not allow the players to place wagers on the possibility of the dealer's hand winning.